Chain for tobacco stemming machines



Oct. 10, 1944. D. w. BRASHEAR CHAIN FOR TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINES Filed Sept. 4

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TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 10, 1944 CHAIN FOR TOBACCO STMMING MACHINES Douglas W. Brashear,

to The American Tob N. Y., a corporation o Richmond, Va., assignor aoco Company, New York, f New Jersey Application September 4, 1943, Serial No. 501,259

Claims.

This invention relates to carded chains or belts and more particularly to a carded belt for use on tobacco stemming machines.

In my prior Patent 2,303,908 granted December 1, 1942, I have disclosed and claimed a tobacco stemming machine in which I employ a pair of carded belts or chains to which the tobacco leaves are fed with the axis of the leaf transversely of the path of travel and with thebutt end of the leaf projecting at one side. At the side of the machine where the butt end projects, I provide pairs of rollers rotating at a higher speed than the speed of travel of the carded belts and adapted to receive the butt end of the stem and withdraw the stem as the tobacco of the leaf is held by the carding pins.

Such machine has given very satisfactory performance in the stemming of tobacco and has greatly reduced the amount of scrap produced by stemming machines of the`type formerly employed. In the present invention I have provided an improvement in the construction of the `carded belt to further reduce the amount of scrap resulting from the stemming operation. In the operation of a machine of this character it is necessary for the butt end of the leaf to project beyond the side of the belt to permit the stem to be engaged by the rollers. The tobacco between the carding pins and the portion of the leaf on the side of the belt remote from the rollers is retained by the carding pins when the stem is removed, but any of the leaf on the stem between the butt end and the carding pins is withdrawn or removed with the stem and thus becomes scrap. In the present invention I have produced a carded belt in which the carding pins are arranged as close as possible to the side of the belt which is adjacent the rollers in operation. The invention comprises the organization of apparatus elements to provide a belt that will efficiently function and in which the carding pins are arranged adjacent one side of the belt.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view through a portion of a stemming machine showing a pair of stripping or stemming rollers and showing the position of the carded belts with respect thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of one of the belts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I designates a pair of rollers shown in transverse section, similar to the main stemming rollers of my prior patent. These rollers may be V(Cl. 131-130) formed of any suitable material but preferably comprise inner sections 2 of hardened steel having the rear portions of the wearing surfaces of the rollers formed of rubberized fabric 3 or other suitable material.

A pair of carded belts travel parallel to the axis of the rollers and are adapted to receive the tobacco leaf L with the leaf arranged transversely of the belts and with the end of the stem projecting at the side on which the rollers are located to be engaged by the rollers and stripped from the leaf while the tobacco of the leaf is retained by the carding pins.

An upper and lower belt is provided with the belts traveling parallel to each other on their operative flights. Each ofthe belts comprises a plurality of channel-shaped plates 4. Pins 5 project from one side of these plates. Each of the pins cooperates with an adjacent pin to receive a link. The links consist of side plates 6 having openings for the passage of the pins 5 and spacing collars or sleeves 'I which surround the pins and are carried thereby. As shown the total width of a link formed by the links 6 and the sleeves 1 is considerably less'than the length of the pin 5 and a pair of such links is arranged on each pin to give the belt greater' strength and rigidity. On the side of the links 4toward the channel-shaped plates, the pins 5 are also connected by plates 8 to give strength and rigidity to the assembled construction. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the plates 8 are staggered with respect to the plates 6, that is where a plate B isconnected to an adjacent pair of pins 5, one plate B is connected toeach of this pair of pins and to an adjacent pin. A plurality of pairs of similar plates 9 are arranged betweenthe two sets `o-f links and are staggered with respect to the side plates 5 of the links. Onel or more plates I0, similar to the plates 8 and 9, may be arranged at the end of the pins 5 and similarly staggered with respect to the side plates 6 of the links.

The belt proper is mounted in the channel formed vby the series of plates 4 and consists of a base II formed of a plurality of laminations of rubberized fabric or other suitable material. The belt may be secured to the chain in any suitable manner. As shown, the plates 4 may be provided with openings and rivets I2 may be passed through these openings and through the fabric belt to secure it in position. The pins I3 which perform the carding operation are in the form of staples which pass through the belt. They are preferably arranged in double over-lapping rows as shown in Fig. 1 which provides four individual pin members in each row. The pins extend outwardly from the face of the belt and when in operative position, the pins of each belt are practically, but not quite, touching the pins of the other belt. The pins may be inclined slightly rearwardly on the operative ight of the belt. They are formed of any suitable grade of steel or other metal having suicient stilfness and resil" iency and their outer ends are preferably case hardened.

On the operative flight the belts travel in suitable guideways or tracks to maintain the carding pins in proper operative relationship with each other. As shown in Fig. 1, each track comprises a base member I4 having hardened steel side plates I5 which are engaged by the outer plates I on one side of the belt or chain. On the opposite side I provide similar plates I6 to absorb any side thrust in the belt. The channel shaped plates are connected to the plates I6 by pins The plate I6 in turn travels along a plate I'I between the base of the guide-way and the side plate I1 and is provided for the purpose of absorbing any vertical thrust. The guide-ways are provided with hardened steel inserts I8 which are engaged by the sleeves or collars 'I. These guide-ways are suitably supported on the frame Q of the machine and the upper one is adjustable so that any wear on the pins I3 can be taken up. The upper guide-way may be provided with supporting blocks I9 which receive threaded members 2(1- These threaded members may pass through suitable guide blocks carried by the frame of the machine to permit adjustment of the upper belt by turning the threaded members 20in the guide blocks.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. To permit the stem at the butt end of the leaf to project sufficiently from the belts to insure its engagement by the rollers I, it is necessary that the pins I3 engage the leaf at a point where some of the leaf tobacco is on the side of the pins toward the rollers. It will be apparent that when the stem is withdawn from the leaf by the ollers, this portion of the leaf is removed with the stem and such portion later becomes scrap. The present construction therefore permits the amount of such scrap to be reduced to a minimum by moving the carding pins toward the side of the belt which travels nearer the rollers I. The tobacco leaves are fed into the carded belts at one end of the machine arranged transversely of the path of travel of the belts, as shown, and as they pass the rollers I, the stem is engaged and removed leaving the leaf tobacco on the carding pins from which it is removed at the end of the operative flight of the belt.

The pitch line of the carded belt and the pitch line of the chain are on the same centers which enables the carding belt to be fastened rigidly to the chain and to maintain the same speed at the top and bottom. This eliminates shearing of the tobacco which is often caused in stemming machines by a pair of chains not travelling at the same speed.

I claim:

l. A carded belt comprising a plurality of supporting plates, an endless belt secured to the plates, carding pins carried on the belt, pins projecting from one side of each of said plates,

a pair of spaced side plates mounted on. adjacent pairs of pins, collars on the pins between the side plates, the side plates and the `collars forming links, spacing plates mounted on the pins adjacent the side plates, the spacing plates being connected to adjacent pairs of pins and staggered with respect to the side plates, and a second set of links comprising side plates and collars arranged on the pins on the opposite side of the spacing plates.

2. A carded belt comprising a guideway, a plurality of supporting plates, an endless belt secured to the plates, carding pins carried by the belt, pins projecting from one side of the supporting plates, a plurality of sets of links arranged on the pins, each link comprising collars mounted on 'the pins and side plates on each side of the collars connected to adjacent pairs of pins, and inserts mounted in the guide-way and projecting beyond the surface thereof to be engaged by the collars.

3. In a device of the character described, a guide-way, a carded belt traveling in the guideway, the carded belt comprising a plurality of channel shaped supporting plates, an endless belt secured to the channel shaped plates, carding pins carried by the belt, pins projecting from one side of the channel plates, a plurality of sets of links mounted on the pins, each link comprising collars mounted on the pins and side plates on each side of the collars, the side plates being secured to pairs of adjacent pins, inserts in the guideway projecting beyond the surface of the guide-way to be engaged by the collars, side plates secured to each side of the guide-way, and a plate between the side plate at one side of the guide-way and the channel shaped plates to absorb side thrusts of the belt.

4. In a device of the character described, a guide-way, a carded belt traveling in the guideway, the carded belt comprising a plurality of channel shaped supporting plates, an endless belt secured to the channel shaped plates, carding pins carried by the belt, pins projecting from one side of the channel plates, a plurality of sets of links mounted on the pins, each link comprising collars mounted on the pins and side plates on each side of the collars, the side plates being secured to pairs of adjacent pins, inserts in the guideway projecting beyond the surface of the guide-way to be engaged by the collars, side plates secured to each side of the guide-way, a plate between the side plate at one side of the guideway and the channel shaped plates to absorb side thrusts of the belt, and a plate carried by the guide-way on which the belt structure rides to absorb vertical thrusts.

5. A carded belt comprising a guide-way, a plurality of supporting plates, an endless belt secured to the plates, carding pins carried by the belt, pins projecting from one side of the supporting plates, a plurality of sets of links arranged on the pins, each link comprising collars mounted on the pins and side plates on each side of the collars connected to adjacent pairs of pins, and inserts mounted in the guideway and projecting beyond the surface thereof to be engaged by the collars, the pitch line of the belt and the pitch line of the chain formed by said links being on the same center.

DOUGLAS W. BRASHEAR. 

